B.C. Wildlife Federation

About the B.C. Wildlife Federation                                                                                                       

For nearly 75 years, the B.C. Wildlife Federation (BCWF) has been at the forefront of wildlife conservation, habitat restoration, and outdoor education in British Columbia. Our mission is to protect, enhance, and promote the wise use of the environment to benefit present and future generations.

Our origins date back to the 1890s when volunteer conservationists established fish and game protective associations that formed the basis of some of our current member clubs. The BCWF membership is made up of 43,000 outdoor enthusiasts from ten regions of the province, who hunt, fish, camp, hike, and spend time outside with their families. There are one hundred BCWF-affiliated fish and game protective associations and rod and gun clubs, making up about 80 percent of the total membership.

Event Information                                                                                                                                   

British Columbia’s coastlines are of international importance for waterbirds. During winter, vast numbers of loons, grebes, cormorants, herons, swans, geese, ducks, shorebirds, and gulls can be found feeding and roosting in bays and estuaries, and along the rocky intertidal beaches of the BC coast. With increasing pressure from development and human population expansion, long-term data on the abundance and distribution of waterbird species is required to monitor and track changes in waterbird populations and habitat use.

In collaboration with Birds Canada, BCWF volunteers will assist in counting and identifying waterfowl species observed around Sumnuw. To learn more about this project or to lead your own coastal waterbird survey, please visit: BC Coastal Waterbird Survey.

Location: Sumnuw - Montague Harbour Marine Provincial Park, 550 Montague Park Rd #1P0, Galiano Island, BC V0N 1P0

Requirements                                                                                                                                          

• Anyone under 14 years old is required to be accompanied by adult supervision
• Wear sturdy footwear for hiking
• Please dress in weather-appropriate clothing
• Have reliable transportation to and from Sumnuw
• Optional: Please bring a water bottle, binoculars, bird ID field book, headlamp for evening shifts

Shifts Available                                                                                                                                       

• Sunday, February 9, 2025
  11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
  
• Sunday, October 12, 2025
  10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
• Sunday, November 9, 2025
  8:30 AM - 10:00 AM
• Sunday, December 14, 2025
  11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Time Commitment                                                                                                                                  

Each posted shift is 1.5 hours long; however, volunteers will have the flexibility to decide how many shifts to sign up for.

Volunteers will receive                                                                                                                           

• Volunteer hours on Better Impact
• Training on the survey protocol (Survey Protocol Training)
• Contribution to community science
• Waterfowl species identifying skills

For more information, please contact us at volunteer@bcwf.bc.ca